The Ultimate Poetry Collection
Poetry of War, Romantic Poetry, Victorian Poetry
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.67
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sir John Gielgud
-
Richard Burton
-
Gwen Watford
-
full cast
About this listen
William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.
A collection of the greatest poetry from the Romantic period, the battlefield, and the Victorian era, read by some of the 20th century’s most renowned actors.
Themes of war, love, nature, sexuality, and much more are played out in these timeless readings of poetry from the 19th and 20th century.
Performed by Sir John Gielgud; Richard Burton; William Squire; Richard Marquand; Peggy Ashcroft; Margaretta Scott; Tony Church; Derek Godfrey; Patrick Garland; Gary Watson; Margaretta Scott; and Janette Richer; Gwen Watford; and David King.
This collection includes poems from:
• William Wordsworth
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• William Blake
• Thomas Hardy
• WB Yeats
• Robert Browning
• Lord Alfred Tennyson
• Christina Rossetti
• Lord Byron
• Wilfred Owen
• Siegfried Sassoon
• Percy Bysshe Shelley
• John Keats
• Gerard Manley Hopkins
• Dante Gabriel Rossetti
• Ted Hughes
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Poems of T. S. Eliot
- Read by Jeremy Irons
- By: T. S. Eliot
- Narrated by: Jeremy Irons, Dame Eileen Atkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Jeremy Irons' perceptive reading illuminates the poetry of T. S. Eliot in all its complexity. Major poems range from 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' through the post-war desolation of 'The Waste Land' and the spiritual struggle of 'Ash-Wednesday', to the enduring charm of 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'.
-
-
Horribly Frustrating to Follow
- By AVS on 06-18-18
By: T. S. Eliot
-
From Song of Myself (A Poem from The Poets' Corner)
- The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family
- By: John Lithgow
- Narrated by: Morgan Freeman, Susan Sarandon, Helen Mirren, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Lithgow has compiled an outstanding collection of memorable poems and has gathered his famous friends to read them. The wide variety of carefully selected poetry in this audiobook provides the perfect introduction to reel in those who are new to poetry, and for poetry lovers to experience beloved verses in a fresh, vivid way. Lithgow offers insightful and sometimes poignant commentary to accompany each poem. His essential criterion is that "each poem's light shines more brightly when read aloud".
-
-
A Painless Crash Course in the Great Western Poets
- By Brazilgirl on 10-27-14
By: John Lithgow
-
Idylls of the King
- By: Lord Alfred Tennyson
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lovers of legends know that this is the finest retelling of the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table; lovers of literature know that this is the greatest of all 19th-century narrative poems. In Tennyson’s gloriously written tale of swashbuckling feats on and off the jousting field, the honour of maidens, knights, queens and kings is won or lost. Above all, the Quest for the Holy Grail spurs the bravest of knights on to deeds of terrifying foolhardiness and courage.
-
The Classic Hundred Poems
- By: William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, W.B. Yeats, and others
- Narrated by: Alfred Corn, Rita Dove
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adopting the methodology of the music charts, The Classic Hundred Poems presents the "top 100" poems of all time. The selections are illuminated by the informative notes of editor William Harmon and read by an ensemble of contemporary poets including Alfred Corn and Rita Dove.
-
-
A great selection of poetry
- By James on 07-13-04
By: William Shakespeare, and others
-
The Richard Burton Poetry Collection
- By: Samuel Coleridge, John Donne, Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Richard Burton
- Length: 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard Burton reads from Hardy and Donne, and performs a wonderful unabridged version of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (along with Robert Hardy and John Neville).
-
-
A truly great voice reading some excellent poems
- By Jamie Milton Freestone on 02-11-12
By: Samuel Coleridge, and others
-
Great Poets of the Romantic Age
- By: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and others
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a dynamic spirit, these great English poets made a conscious return to nostalgia and spiritual depth. Each chose a different path, but they are united in a love of moods, impressions, scenes, stories, sights and sounds. In this collection of more than forty poems are some of the finest and most memorable works in the English language.
-
-
Inspirational, beautiful and timeless
- By Elisa on 08-25-16
By: William Blake, and others
-
The Poems of T. S. Eliot
- Read by Jeremy Irons
- By: T. S. Eliot
- Narrated by: Jeremy Irons, Dame Eileen Atkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Jeremy Irons' perceptive reading illuminates the poetry of T. S. Eliot in all its complexity. Major poems range from 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' through the post-war desolation of 'The Waste Land' and the spiritual struggle of 'Ash-Wednesday', to the enduring charm of 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'.
-
-
Horribly Frustrating to Follow
- By AVS on 06-18-18
By: T. S. Eliot
-
From Song of Myself (A Poem from The Poets' Corner)
- The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family
- By: John Lithgow
- Narrated by: Morgan Freeman, Susan Sarandon, Helen Mirren, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Lithgow has compiled an outstanding collection of memorable poems and has gathered his famous friends to read them. The wide variety of carefully selected poetry in this audiobook provides the perfect introduction to reel in those who are new to poetry, and for poetry lovers to experience beloved verses in a fresh, vivid way. Lithgow offers insightful and sometimes poignant commentary to accompany each poem. His essential criterion is that "each poem's light shines more brightly when read aloud".
-
-
A Painless Crash Course in the Great Western Poets
- By Brazilgirl on 10-27-14
By: John Lithgow
-
Idylls of the King
- By: Lord Alfred Tennyson
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lovers of legends know that this is the finest retelling of the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table; lovers of literature know that this is the greatest of all 19th-century narrative poems. In Tennyson’s gloriously written tale of swashbuckling feats on and off the jousting field, the honour of maidens, knights, queens and kings is won or lost. Above all, the Quest for the Holy Grail spurs the bravest of knights on to deeds of terrifying foolhardiness and courage.
-
The Classic Hundred Poems
- By: William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, W.B. Yeats, and others
- Narrated by: Alfred Corn, Rita Dove
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adopting the methodology of the music charts, The Classic Hundred Poems presents the "top 100" poems of all time. The selections are illuminated by the informative notes of editor William Harmon and read by an ensemble of contemporary poets including Alfred Corn and Rita Dove.
-
-
A great selection of poetry
- By James on 07-13-04
By: William Shakespeare, and others
-
The Richard Burton Poetry Collection
- By: Samuel Coleridge, John Donne, Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Richard Burton
- Length: 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard Burton reads from Hardy and Donne, and performs a wonderful unabridged version of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (along with Robert Hardy and John Neville).
-
-
A truly great voice reading some excellent poems
- By Jamie Milton Freestone on 02-11-12
By: Samuel Coleridge, and others
-
Great Poets of the Romantic Age
- By: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and others
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a dynamic spirit, these great English poets made a conscious return to nostalgia and spiritual depth. Each chose a different path, but they are united in a love of moods, impressions, scenes, stories, sights and sounds. In this collection of more than forty poems are some of the finest and most memorable works in the English language.
-
-
Inspirational, beautiful and timeless
- By Elisa on 08-25-16
By: William Blake, and others
-
The Great Poets: Alfred Lord Tennyson
- By: Alfred Tennyson
- Narrated by: Michael Pennington
- Length: 1 hr and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 200th anniversary of the birth of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892), one of the most popular of poets, is celebrated in 2009. Works such as The Charge of the Light Brigade, Crossing the Bar and Tears, Idle Tears have made him an internationally famous figure, and the second most quoted writer of all time (after Shakespeare).
-
-
One of the most popular Victorian poets
- By ESK on 01-07-13
By: Alfred Tennyson
-
Seven Ages
- An Anthology of Poetry with Music
- By: William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Ted Hughes
- Narrated by: Ralph Fiennes, Dame Judi Dench
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This highly entertaining anthology of verse is the comic, tragic, tender, and telling story of life's seven ages, from childhood to old age. Within the framework of Shakespeare's speech, "The Seven Ages of Man," performed by Sir Ian McKellen, are 150 great poems from all ages, from Chaucer to Emily Dickinson to Walt Whitman and many others. The poem are presented by the finest cast ever assembled on one recording and includes Ralph Fiennes, Dame Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Caine, and more.
-
-
The Anthology of 'Music-Makers'
- By ESK on 12-26-12
By: William Shakespeare, and others
-
William Blake: Essential Poems
- By: William Blake
- Narrated by: Ayrton Parham
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most celebrated poets in the English language, William Blake crafted visions of Heaven, Hell, God, and Apocalypse. Effortlessly leaping from philosophy, to nursery rhymes, to mystic visions, Blake left a body of work that still puzzles scholars, and thrills listeners. So sit beside William Blake, and let him tell you of the Tyger, the Lamb, and the Everlasting Gospel.
-
-
It is Blake
- By M.Biblioswine on 07-16-21
By: William Blake
-
The Great Poets: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- By: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen, John Moffatt, Sarah Woodward, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in collaboration with his friend, William Wordsworth, revolutionized English poetry. In 1798 they produced their Lyrical Ballads, poems of imagination and reflection using "the language of men" - pointing the way forward for a generation of Romantic poets.
-
-
Another jewel of my poetry collection
- By ESK on 10-17-12
-
Poetic License
- 100 Poems - 100 Performers
- By: Emily Dickinson, e. e. cummings, William Wordsworth, and others
- Narrated by: Jason Alexander, Christine Baranski, Charles Busch, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why a poetry album? Easy answer: I love poetry. I love reading it. I love memorizing it. I love hearing great actors recite it. As the poet Mark Strand wrote, “Ink runs from the corners of my mouth / There is no happiness like mine / I have been eating poetry.” In the past, when I was full from eating, I have had the audacity to set poetry to music. But, on this audiobook, you will hear the music of the poems.
-
-
100 poems -No table of contents!!
- By Christine on 08-26-13
By: Emily Dickinson, and others
-
The Great Poets: William Blake
- By: William Blake
- Narrated by: Robert Glenister, Michael Maloney, Stephen Critchlow
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Naxos AudioBooks begins its new series of Great Poets with William Blake. This program contains all of his most popular works - including "Tyger", "The Auguries of Innocence", and "Jerusalem" - as well as some lesser-known poetry that demonstrates the range and power of his verse.
-
-
Overwhelming, mystical and... menacing
- By ESK on 07-30-12
By: William Blake
-
The Great Poets: W. B. Yeats
- By: W. B. Yeats
- Narrated by: Jim Norton, Denys Hawthorne, Marcella Riordan, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Naxos AudioBooks continues its new series of Great Poets, represented by collections of their most popular poems in one program. W. B. Yeats was one of the most beloved poets of the 20th century. He left a large legacy of outstanding poems, and the finest are collected here: "Down by the Salley Gardens," "The Lake Isle of Inisfree," "The Secret Rose," and "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven". They are read by a strong cast, led by Olivier award-winner Jim Norton.
-
-
My Favourite Poet
- By Allen Mahan on 07-19-15
By: W. B. Yeats
-
BBC Classics: Ultimate Story Collection
- 90 Unmissable Tales
- By: Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, Virginia Woolf, and others
- Narrated by: Sam Dale, Joseph Ayre, Carolyn Pickles, and others
- Length: 26 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A treasure chest of timeless short stories by some of the world's greatest authors.
-
-
These are not full cast audio dramas
- By Mollie on 03-25-23
By: Oscar Wilde, and others
-
Good Poems
- Selected and Introduced by Garrison Keillor
- By: Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and others
- Narrated by: Garrison Keillor
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Good Poems includes poems about lovers, children, failure, everyday life, death, and transcendence. It features the work of classic poets, such as Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost, as well as the work of contemporary greats such as Howard Nemerov, Charles Bukowski, Donald Hall, Billy Collins, Robert Bly, and Sharon Olds Good Poems includes poems about lovers, children, failure, everyday life, death, and transcendence.
-
-
Very good, but. . .
- By KSmith on 01-27-11
By: Emily Dickinson, and others
-
East of Eden
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This sprawling and often brutal novel, set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley, follows the intertwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.
-
-
Why have I avoided this Beautiful Book???
- By Kelly on 03-25-17
By: John Steinbeck
-
Classic American Poetry
- By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others
- Narrated by: Garrick Hagon, Liza Ross, William Hootkins, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Walt Whitman said, "...poetry is the voice of the nation, expressing its deepest concerns, ambitions and longings," which is certainly true of the great classic poetry of America. This wide-ranging anthology, from the earliest poets of the 16th century to the present day, reflects the changing preoccupations and visions of Americans, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, E.E. Cummings, and more.
-
-
Just dawdle
- By Kirby on 11-27-03
By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and others
-
The Iliad & The Odyssey
- By: Homer
- Narrated by: John Lescault
- Length: 28 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Little is known about the Ancient Greek oral poet Homer, the supposed 8th century BC author of the world-read Iliad and his later masterpiece, The Odyssey. These classic epics provided the basis for Greek education and culture throughout the classical age and formed the backbone of humane education through the birth of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity.
-
-
Worth the price, worth the time
- By Sam on 12-31-04
By: Homer
What listeners say about The Ultimate Poetry Collection
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- anne Hall
- 01-28-23
wonderful but - no titles
Am I missing something? No titles come up on my phone. I cannot see what poem or author I am listening to!
:(
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melissa S.
- 04-02-23
Terrible
There is no way to know what poem is being read. There are no pauses between poems. There is not even a list of what is being read to refer to. Very frustrating.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful